Profiles

Edward H. Butler, born in 1841, was Cashier of the Mechanics' Bank in Detroit, Michigan in 1891. A short biography is found in the book Detroit in History and Commerce, published in 1891 and found onli...

William Addison Butler was President of the Mechanics' Bank in Detroit, Michigan in 1891. A short biography is found in the book Detroit in History and Commerce, published in 1891 and found online. His...

John Schmittdiel (1850-1914) was a prominent banker in Detroit, Michigan. He married Fannie Ludwig in 1871 and they had 4 children, Alva J., May, Maud and Percy Ralph. This information was obtained fro...

Goal and Scope of this Project

This project is a description of the city of Detroit, its history and people that made it famous.

The story of Detroit--and this project--starts from the first recorded mention of the site in 1670, when French missionaries found a stone idol venerated by the Indians there and destroyed it with an axe.

Overview

Detroit ( /diˈtrɔɪt/)[5] is the largest city in the state of Michigan, and is the seat of Wayne County. It is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people, and serves as a major port on the Detroit River connecting the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. It was founded on July 24, 1701, by the French explorer, adventurer, and nobleman Antoine de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac.

In 2010, the city had a population of 713,777 and ranked as the 18th most populous city in the United States.[3] The name Detroit sometimes refers to the Metro Detroit area with a population of 4,296,250 for the six-county Metropolitan Statistical Area,[6] the United States' 13th-largest, and a population of 5,218,852 for the nine-county Combined Statistical Area as of the 2010 Census. The Detroit–Windsor area, a critical commercial link straddling the Canada–U.S. border, has a total population of about 5,700,000.

Known as the world's traditional automotive center, "Detroit" is a metonym for the American automobile industry and an important source of popular music legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, the Motor City and Motown. Other nicknames arose in the 20th century, including City of Champions beginning in the 1930s for its successes in individual and team sport,[11] The D, D-Town, Hockeytown (a trademark owned by the city's NHL club, the Red Wings), Rock City (after the Kiss song "Detroit Rock City"), and The 313 (its telephone area code) Detroit became known as the "great arsenal of democracy" for its support of the U.S. role among the Allied powers during World War II.

Detroit and the surrounding region constitute a major center of commerce and global trade. The Detroit area emerged as a metropolitan region with construction of an extensive freeway system in the 1950s and 1960s which has expanded in ensuing decades. Freeways and transit systems have facilitated movement throughout the region with millions of people taking up residence in the suburbs. Between 2000 and 2010, the city's population fell by 25%, from the nation's 10th largest city to 18th. Commensurate with the shift of population and jobs to its suburbs, the city has had to adjust its role within the larger metropolitan area. Downtown Detroit has seen an increased role as an entertainment hub in the 21st century with the opening of three casino resort hotels, new stadiums, and a revitalized riverfront. The metropolitan region currently holds roughly one-half of the state's population.

History and Timeline

1937 May 26 - Battle of the Overpass. This incident occurred between United Auto Workers Union (UAW) organizers and Ford Motor Company security guards at the River Rouge Plant complex in Dearborn, in metro-Detroit, Michigan. Several union organizers were asked by a photographer from the Detroit News to pose for pictures on the overpass. While they were posing, men from Ford's internal security department began to beat them. This beating was photographed. News and photos of the attack made headlines in newspapers across the country, which increased support for the UAW and hurt Ford's reputation.

1943, June 20 (Sunday) - The Detroit Riot. By the time federal troops arrived to halt the racial conflict, 25 Blacks and 9 whites were dead, property damage exceeded $2 million, and a legacy of fear and hate became part of the city. (1968 Riot Commission, p. 224).

The 1967 Detroit riot, also known as the 12th Street riot, was a violent public disorder that turned into a civil disturbance. Police confrontations with patrons and observers on the street evolved into one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in United States history, lasting five days and surpassing the violence and property destruction of Detroit's 1943 race riot. The result was 43 dead, 1,189 injured, over 7,200 arrests, and more than 2,000 buildings destroyed. A monument marks the starting point of the July 1967 racial riot.

Notable People

Landmarks

Detroit's Memorial to Joe Louis, Fist of a Champion, located on Woodward at Jefferson in downtown Detroit adjoining Hart Plaza. Joe Louis was the nation's first black sports hero who was admired by whites. Joe's father moved to Detroit during the Great Northern migration of World War 1 from Alabama. Joe joined his family in Detroit when he was 12. Joe quickly became recognized as a talented boxer. By 1932 he had defeated all opponents in Detroit and Chicago and in 1934 Louis became the world's heavy weight champion.

Michigan Central Station a formerly busy train station at the turn of the 20th century. Now a symbol for what the car has brought to, and taken away from, Detroit.

The Heidelberg Project This project is in the heart of an urban community on Detroit's East Side. Tyree Guyton is the founder and artistic director for this project that uses everyday discarded objects to create a 2-block area full of color and symbolism that is now in its 28th year.

Fisher Building is a landmark skyscraper located in downtown Detroit. This building is in the Art Deco style and was designated a National Historical Landmark 29 June 1989. The Fisher theatre and the Detroit Public Schools are in this building.

Detroit Institute of Art is located in Detroit's Cultural Center Historic District. It is the 5th largest art museum in the United States. Diego Rivera, a Mexican communist came to Detroit to paint the world famous murals that decorate the main entryway, known as "Detroit Industry". A cast of The Thinker by Auguste Rodin sits in front of the Detroit Art Institute, which has 5 other sculptures by Rodin.

Guardian Building is a landmark skyscraper in downtown Detroit in the Art Deco style. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on 29 June 1989 and the associated Detroit Financial District is on the National Register of Historic Places.